Through music, we are brought together and we can gain a better understanding of people from all corners of the Earth.
We call this series “I Don’t Read Music” since we are targeting beginners of all ages: children, teens, parents, and grandparents.
Getting to know music from around the world can be one of the most exciting and appealing ways to be introduced to new and different cultures. Music is a universal language, meaning that it transcends borders and opens up an entirely new way of thinking.
This book includes 53 popular, rhythmic, and easy-to-play folk songs and melodies from all over the world. Since this book is aimed at the absolute beginner without any knowledge of reading music, we do not use the classical music staff and do not show the note duration. Each song here is written without classic musical notation but only with circles and
numbered notes inside. First of all, we recommend following the QR-code which you will find on each page, listening to the song on YouTube, and then trying to repeat what is heard in the recordings. It will help to understand the rhythm pattern and duration.
Keep in mind that folk music traditionally is not learned from sheet music or notes. Instead, it is learned by repetition and through being passed from generation to generation. We believe in this method of teaching, which is easier and more enjoyable. For learning purposes, all songs have been simplified and adapted especially for 8 key drums.
So you can use an 8-tongue drum, but tongue drums are very different. Some may have three C notes and not a single F note. Others have several chromatic notes included. So while it is based on the regular major diatonic scale, it does not have the typical CDEFGAB arrangement:it can have missing notes, a few additional bass, and treble notes
placed further away from the main group, or the notes arranged in a variety of ways. So if your drum has less than one octave of keys, you may need to skip some songs. Unfortunately, it is impossible to accommodate songs for all kinds of tongue drums in one book.
Contents:
North America
Alice the Camel
Ani Couni Chaouani
Aura Lee
Bim Bum Biddy
Buckeye Jim
Jacob's Ladder
Li'l Liza Jane
Kum-Ba-Yah
Michel Row Your Boat
Over the River
Peace Like a River
Latin America
Brinca la Tablita
Cucaracha
DoDo Petit PoPo
Tingalayo
Cumpleanos Feliz
Lost my Gold Ring
Los Pollitos Dicen
Africa
Banuwa
Che Che Koolay
Do-Do-Ki-Do
Funga Alafia
Kanzenzenze
Labe-igi-Orombo
Obwisana
Sansa Kroma
Shosholoza
Welcome Song
Europe
Five Little Duck
Five Little Monkeys
Hush Little Baby
Old Mother Hubbard
This Old Man
See-Saw Margery Daw
Buenos Dias
Donde estan las Llaves
Au Clair de la Lune
Pirouette Cacahuete
Frere Jacques (Are You Sleeping?)
Un Petit Cochon
Vous Diraije Maman (Twinkle Little Star)
Giro-Giro-Tondo
Oh Che Bel Castello
Mein Hut (My Hat)
Asia
Kalinka
Kum Bachur Atzel
Anile, Anile
Gayatri Mantra
Maha Mrityundjaya Mantra
Zhao Peng You
Hotaru Koi
Australia and Oceania
Epo-i-Tai-Tai-e
Kangaroo, Skippy Roo